Written Answers Friday 3 June 2005

Scottish Executive

Arts

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of financial support it has provided to Scottish Development International for the promotion of the Scottish music industry in each year since 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: Scottish Executive funding for Scottish Development International is allocated in a block grant via Scottish Enterprise and there is no specific allocation made for any individual industry sector. Therefore data is not available centrally on the breakdown of resources used by SDI for the promotion of the Scottish music industry.

  SDI delivers an on-going programme of activities responding to the international business needs of companies in the Scottish music industry and the creative industries more generally. This has included supporting Scottish attendance at international music conferences and festivals together with producing promotional materials for use in overseas markets. This support is co-ordinated with the activities of the Scottish Arts Council and Enterprise networks.

  In addition, companies in the Scottish music industry can access the full range of advice, assistance and funding SDI offers to all Scottish companies looking to enter international markets.

Arts

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it has offered Scottish Development International for its hosting of a stall/pavilion at MIDEM 2006.

Mr Jim Wallace: Scottish Executive funding for Scottish Development International (SDI) is allocated in a block grant via Scottish Enterprise and there is no specific allocation made for any individual industry sector.

  SDI involvement and support for activities at the MIDEM event in 2006 is currently being considered as part of SDI’s forward plans, in consultation with relevant music industry organisations and companies.

Employment

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent estimate is of the number of teleworkers.

Mr Jim Wallace: The most recent estimates taken from the Spring 1 2004 Labour Force Survey estimate that there are 118,000 2 teleworkers 3 in Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. The spring quarter runs from March to May.

  2. Figure is rounded to the nearest thousand and is not seasonally adjusted.

  3. Teleworkers are defined as people who work at home and require the use of both a telephone and computer to carry out their work.

Equal Opportunities

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16621 by Ms Margaret Curran on 17 May 2005, whether it will make representations to the UK Government in connection with its Equality Bill to provide that the duty placed on Scottish public authorities to promote equality between men and women will also be placed on any person who is providing a service for a public body under a (a) contract for services or (b) PPP/PFI contract.

Malcolm Chisholm: Scottish Executive officials regularly participate in and contribute to UK discussions on all aspects of the Equality Bill. This includes the procurement of services by public bodies, a subject which is currently under consideration.

European Union

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the Deputy First Minister’s discussion with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, it still supports a policy of repatriating European structural funds after 2006.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive believes that future structural funds should be focused primarily on the poorer member states. We are continuing to liaise closely with the UK Government to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account as the negotiations on the future of the structural funds for the 2007-13 period continue.

  We are committed to a fully funded regional development policy for Scotland whatever the source of the funding.

Fire Safety

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a duty on registered social landlords to provide smoke detectors for deaf and hard of hearing people.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows.

  The Performance Standards for Social Landlords and Homelessness functions, developed and published jointly by Communities Scotland, COSLA and Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, require that landlords are responsive to the particular needs of applicants and the changing needs of existing tenants and that properties are adapted efficiently to meet these needs. Compliance with these standards is monitored through Communities Scotland’s regulatory framework and inspection programme

  The Scottish Housing Quality Standard, introduced in February 2004, and relevant to the housing stock as a whole, requires that a smoke detector is present in every home. Allied to this, the design guide Housing for Varying Needs advises that occupants with impaired hearing will require safety devices such as smoke detectors to have a flashing light signal in addition to an audible alarm.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many migrants from EU accession countries have settled in Scotland as a result of the Fresh Talent initiative.

Mr Tom McCabe: Information on the number of migrants from EU accession countries who have settled in Scotland is not available. While the most recent Accession Monitoring Report indicates that over 10,000 migrants from the EU accession countries have registered to work in Scotland between May 2004 and March 2005 there is no data available on the number of migrants who have actually settled in Scotland.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-6781 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 May 2005, whether receiving organisations’ business plans have been approved in respect of the transfer of stock from each of the seven local authorities that have joined the community ownership housing programme.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows.

  To date, none of the local authorities on the new Community Ownership Programme has had their receiving organisations’ business plans approved. However, Communities Scotland continues to provide practical support to councils and registered social landlords in working towards finalising plans for submission for approval.

Land

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any research into community land trusts and, if so, what the findings of the research were.

Lewis Macdonald: The concept of a crofting community land trust was first explored by the then Scottish Office in 1996 in connection with proposals for community ownership of croft land owned by the Secretary of State For Scotland.

  Parliamentary consideration of options for the creation of community bodies and crofting community bodies under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 was informed by the community land trust concept. The company model provided under the act was favoured by Scottish ministers because of the low set up costs and robustness, openness and transparency which are features of companies limited by guarantee, registered under the Companies Act, with documentation being publicly accessible at Companies House.

Public Private Partnerships

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards are in place to ensure that PPP school building projects are driven by local authority requirements rather than private sector requirements.

Peter Peacock: It is for local authorities to take appropriate measures to ensure that any PPP contracts they enter into meet their requirements. They will specify to potential private sector partners what those requirements are, and there is ample opportunity during the procurement process for authorities to clarify and discuss their requirements with potential partners.

Recycling

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-6783 by Ross Finnie on 19 May 2005, what investment it is making in the provision of recycling facilities in each local authority area, except West Lothian.

Ross Finnie: The following table shows the awards made, through the Strategic Waste Fund, to each local authority from 2000-01 to 2029-2030. We have included West Lothian for ease of reference. The table includes awards from 2008-09 onwards which are indicative at this stage. Resources from the Strategic Waste Fund are used to implement waste prevention initiatives, to improve recycling and composting facilities and services, to fund infrastructure to help divert waste away from landfill and to support education and awareness campaigns.

  Strategic Waste Fund Awards to Local Authorities

  

Local Authority
2001-02 to 2029-2030(£)


Aberdeen City
23,475,014


Aberdeenshire
63,795,570


Angus
21,376,160


Argyll and Bute
64,419,150


Clackmannanshire
5,894,062


Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar
25,305,349


Dumfries and Galloway
101,233,400


Dundee
26,151,797


East Ayrshire
15,201,271


East Dunbartonshire
23,676,828


East Lothian
19,516,371


East Renfrewshire
19,719,342


Edinburgh
84,403,734


Falkirk
8,476,567


Fife 
70,284,479


Glasgow
10,837,036


Highland
50,588,799


Inverclyde
11,782,350


Midlothian
34,689,579


Moray
11,529,521


North Ayrshire
19,888,954


North Lanarkshire
53,940,298


Orkney 
4,463,842


Perth and Kinross
21,217,232


Renfrewshire 
28,846,145


Scottish Borders
16,801,322


Shetland
5,979,595


South Ayrshire
19,943,907


South Lanarkshire
67,385,990


Stirling
31,503,473


West Dunbartonshire
17,963,665


West Lothian
33,722,017


Total
1,014,012,819

Renewable Energy

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12999 by Allan Wilson on 5 January 2005, how it defines "communities" and whether that definition has been discussed with developers and local authorities.

Allan Wilson: The provision of community benefit by a developer is not a matter for the Executive. It is not, therefore, for the Executive to define "communities".

Renewable Energy

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16462 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 May 2005, whether 120 to 145 gigawatt hours is the total capacity of the windfarm or its expected output after taking account of a windfarm’s theoretical 30% maximum energy output.

Mr Jim Wallace: My answer referred to the expected annual output of electricity, after accounting for load factor.

Renewable Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to encourage business start-ups in the renewable energy sector.

Mr Jim Wallace: The provision of advice and support for business start-ups and growing businesses in Scotland, including renewable energy businesses, is primarily an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

  Measures introduced in the Scottish Enterprise area include Business Gateway – a first stop access to support and advice to business start-ups and growing businesses.

  In the Highlands and Islands area, access to business support is through Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s network of ten Local Enterprise Companies (LECs) located throughout the area who are the first stop for information and advice.

Roads

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the potential adverse impacts were of the Kelvin valley route for the proposed upgrade of the A80 identified during the course of the scheme assessment and in the Consultation Forum in 1996 which it was unable to mitigate successfully and which led to the Minister for Transport’s decision on the route.

Nicol Stephen: There were a range of adverse impacts on ecology, noise levels, water quality, cultural heritage and the landscape character of the area associated with the Kelvin Valley Route which could not be successfully mitigated.

Scottish Executive

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which companies it (a) wholly owns, (b) partially owns only with other Scottish public authorities listed in schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and (c) partially owns with organisations or individuals not listed in schedule 1 to the Act.

Ms Margaret Curran: (a) Companies which the Scottish Executive wholly owns:

  
Caledonian MacBrayne Limited
  David MacBrayne Limited
  Caledonian MacBrayne Holdings Limited
  Highlands and Islands Airports Limited


  Companies Limited by Guarantee:

  
Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba
Determined to Succeed
Learning and Teaching Scotland
Scottish Screen
Scottish UfI Trust Ltd.


  (Architecture and Design Scotland will fall into this category once established).

  (b) Companies which the Scottish Executive partially owns with other Scottish public authorities listed in Schedule 1 to FOI(S)A:

  There are no companies which the Scottish Executive partially owns only with other Scottish public authorities listed in Schedule 1 to FOI(S)A.

  (c) Companies which the Scottish Executive partially owns with organisations or individuals not listed in Schedule 1 to FOI(S)A:

  
Carbon Trust
  Energy Saving Trust
  Partnerships UK Limited
  Student Loan Company Ltd
  Scottish Archive Network Ltd.
  Scottish Archive Enterprises Ltd.


  (The Improvement Service will fall into this category once registered).

Teachers

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address any shortfalls in supply teachers in subjects such as chemistry and maths.

Peter Peacock: We have no evidence of any significant or generalised shortfall of permanent teachers in chemistry or maths. Although, it is recognised that teacher supply is tighter this year than in the past, particularly in relation to the availability of supply teachers. We recognise that in any individual school a particular subject shortage can have significant impacts. The management of supply cover is in the main primarily a matter for local authorities.

  Entrants to chemistry and maths Postgraduate Certificate in Education courses are up by 15% and 85% respectively compared to last year as we build towards the commitment in the Partnership for a Better Scotland to increase teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007.

Teachers

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out workforce planning in respect of current and projected needs for supply teachers.

Peter Peacock: The requirement for supply teachers is discussed with members of the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group which includes representatives of education authorities and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC). The purpose of the group is to offer advice on the requirement for newly trained teachers to Scottish ministers who in turn offer advice to SHEFC who are responsible for setting intakes to courses of teacher training. An allowance of 7% in primary and secondary education has been included within the statistical model from 2004 for the need for supply teachers.

Teachers

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many supply teachers are available across Scotland, broken down by subject.

Peter Peacock: From research we commissioned on the management of supply cover we know there are approximately 11,000 supply teachers in Scotland, representing around 20% of the total workforce. A Summary Insight Report of this research can be accessed using the following hyperlink: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/is12-00.asp

  Information on supply teachers available across Scotland broken down by subject is not held centrally.

Tourism

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to improve non-Scots’ first impressions of Scotland.

Mr Tom McCabe: On 13 May 2005 the Scottish Executive published Councillor Eric Milligan’s report on First Impressions of Scotland that had been commissioned by Scottish ministers in 2004. The Executive also published ministers’ response to the report which forms an action plan to improve the first impression that international visitors receive of Scotland.

Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13106 by Nicol Stephen on 26 January 2005, what exact role it envisages for Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT), in light of the commitment made to the Parliament by the Minister for Transport on 16 June 2004 that "I still expect SPT to have a direct role in the management and development of rail services in the west of Scotland." ( Official Report c. 9099).

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15923 on 5 May 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the decision to allow Dumfries and Galloway to form a transport partnership in its own right, it will consider allowing any other local authorities to be exempt from the proposed regional transport partnerships if they so wish.

Nicol Stephen: The current Transport (Scotland) Bill 2004 places a duty on the Scottish ministers to create regional transport partnerships covering the whole of Scotland. This duty would not allow exemptions.

Voluntary Sector

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage and support volunteering for older people across the voluntary sector, along the lines of the Home Office-backed Volunteering Initiative in the Third Age project.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive’s Volunteering Strategy sets out our way forward to embed a robust culture of volunteering across Scotland, including volunteering by older people. This includes the provision of resources for Volunteer Development Scotland and the network of volunteer centres to provide advice and support to all volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations, as well as specialist projects such as the CSV Retired and Senior Volunteers Programme and the Scottish Business in the Community Senior Executive programme.

Voluntary Sector

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which members of the voluntary sector strategic funding review steering group and each of its three working groups are volunteers, rather than employees of, or consultants to, the organisations which they represent.

Malcolm Chisholm: Two members of the strategic funding review working groups are volunteers. None of the steering group are volunteers. In addition, a large number of volunteers attended the consultation road-shows in Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh which contributed towards the work of the review. Many members of the steering group and working groups also volunteer on a personal capacity.

  A full list of all members of the review steering group and working groups can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/viu.

Water Services

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are laid down for the treatment of raw sewage by public bodies.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are the regulatory authority for such discharges, using powers granted primarily through the Control of Pollution Act 1974. For larger sewage treatment works, the level of treatment that sewage must receive is set out in the Urban Waste Water Treatment (Scotland) Regulations 1994.